The National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) has mounted a fresh challenge against the Puntland administration, calling for the immediate release of independent reporter Suways Ga’ayte and the withdrawal of all criminal charges filed against her.
In a formal statement released on Friday, the union decried what it describes as an “intensifying pattern of intimidation” in the regional state, accusing local judicial authorities of weaponizing the law to silence critical reporting.
Ga’ayte’s case has become a flashpoint for a growing standoff between the government and the media, which the union claims is being stifled by politically motivated prosecutions.
NUSOJ Secretary-General Omar Faruk Osman warned that the continued detention of journalists signals a dangerous shift in the region’s governance.
“The criminal justice system must never be used as a tool to punish journalists for independent reporting,” Osman said. “We call upon the Puntland judicial authorities to discontinue the proceedings against Suways Ga’ayte and withdraw all charges arising from her legitimate journalistic work.”
The union is now demanding that Puntland’s leadership honor constitutional protections for press freedom, arguing that current practices have fostered a climate of fear.
By targeting those who act as the public’s “watchdogs,” the union warns, the state is effectively eroding government accountability.
For observers across the Horn of Africa, the crackdown in Puntland is a familiar, albeit troubling, trend. Somalia remains one of the world’s most precarious environments for media workers, who frequently operate at the intersection of clan politics, militant threats, and state-led legal harassment.
In Somalia, media stakeholders and regional human rights bodies often monitor such developments closely, as the erosion of press freedom creates a “chilling effect” on the country’s information flow.
NUSOJ has committed to escalating the case through national and international legal and human rights channels, vowing to remain involved until the charges are dropped and those behind the prosecution are held accountable.
As of Friday the Puntland judicial authorities had not issued a formal response to the union’s demands.
